Maia Jeffries
| image = | caption = | first = 2004 | portrayer = Anna Julliene | episode = | nickname = | gender = Female | age = | born = | specialty = | occupation = Nurse | spouse = Jay Copeland (divorced) | exspouse = | boyfriend = | exboyfriend = | girlfriend = | exgirlfriend= | children = Jay Jeffries | relatives = Yvonne Jeffries (mother) Tania Jeffries (sister) Libby Jeffries (sister) Ian Jeffries (father, deceased) | residence = | religion = | nationality = | imdb_id = |last = 2012}} Maia Jeffries is a dedicated nurse whose warmth and empathy engage patients and staff alike. Maia arrived back in NZ from a stint in Australia. At first it was thought she was the travel companion and friend of Jay, but it soon became apparent that Maia and Jay were more than good friends - they were lovers. Maia forged a new life for herself in Ferndale. Several hopeful males tried their luck - for cheeky farm boy Eltham it was love at first sight. Hunky doc Mark Weston was also keen. Maia's family arrived in Ferndale. Her father's diagnosis with the hereditary Kennedy's Disease cast doubt over her dream to one day become a mother. Maia's dad was killed in a farm accident. Maia married Jay in a glamorous Valentine's Day Civil Union ceremony. But Jay had an affair with a married man which Maia found difficult to forgive. She focused on a new goal - to have a child. Maia had the support of her friend (and sister Tania's partner) Mark Weston. He agreed to be the sperm donor to make Maia's dream come true. Maia's pregnancy dream was shattered when her fertilised eggs proved to have Kennedy's disease. Her relationship with Jay was the next casualty and the pair separated. Maia didn't give up on her dream of becoming a mum. Mark secretly agreed to be her donor once more, this time keeping wife Tania entirely in the dark. It was a recipe for disaster. When the 2007 murders saw Mark targeted by police as a major suspect, his devious sexual past was dredged up. The guilt saw him confess his part in Maia's baby to Tania. As an added blow to Maia, ex-partner Jay became the third victim of the Serial Killer. Mark left the country, Jay was dead and it appeared as if Tania would never forgive her. Maia gave birth to her baby boy Jay in the back of her car and Tania was there to deliver him. The birth brought the sisters together again. Maia returned to the hospital from maternity leave, and struggled with the dual demands of her job and her role as a parent. She has passed the Kennedy's disease on to her child and this guilt coupled with the demands of her dual roles caused Maia much heartache. Maia then started to see her friend Alice in a new light. But Alice's boyfriend Ethan discovered Maia's friendship, and set about sabotaging their friendship and Maia's career. To make matters worse, Maia's mother Yvonne was diagnosed with cancer due to a dodgy Nessus-Bio skin graft (which Ethan's company supplied). Maia confessed to Alice and her family that she shot Ethan. This caused massive division in the family but no-one was prepared to turn her in to the police. Isolated and alone, Maia's guilt caused her to unravel and she appeared to go mad. In mid 2009 Maia was confined to a psychiatric unit. Hallucinations and conversations with Ethan Pierce haunted her until she was finally able to confess her guilt. After release from the unit, Maia was on the road to recovery. A subsequent court case saw her get off the murder as the judge threw the case out of court. Maia tried to rebuild her life in the community but some colleagues were very suspicious and hostile towards her. She returned to work in the hospital and began a relationship with Nurse Nicole Miller in 2010, with whom she shared a tempestuous relationship, which ended for the final time after Maia cheated on Nicole with Dr. Jennifer Mason Maia left Shortland Street to move to Asutralia with her mother Yvonne and son Jay in February 2011, briefly returning in 2012 when her brother in law Gerald needed an operation.